Search location by ZIP code

NEWS ARCHIVE

‘This process is causing a problem to the general public,’ Sierra Club chapter president says

Johnson Bridgewater, president of the Oklahoma chapter of the Sierra Club, answered KOCO 5 viewers’ questions. You can watch him discuss the organization’s lawsuit here.

Share

Shares

Copy Link

{copyShortcut} to copy
Link copied!

Updated: 10:23 AM CDT Apr 14, 2016

‘This process is causing a problem to the general public,’ Sierra Club chapter president says

Johnson Bridgewater, president of the Oklahoma chapter of the Sierra Club, answered KOCO 5 viewers’ questions. You can watch him discuss the organization’s lawsuit here.

Share

Shares

Copy Link

{copyShortcut} to copy
Link copied!

Updated: 10:23 AM CDT Apr 14, 2016

Hide TranscriptShow Transcript

WEBVTT ABIGAIL: WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE EARTHQUAKES, THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY AND ITS EFFECT ON OUR STATE. THE SIERRA CLUB DONE NAMING FOUR OKLAHOMA ENERGY COMPANIES IN A LAWSUIT. WE HAVE ASKED OUR QUESTIONS AND NOW IT IS YO TURN, YOU POSTED THESE QUESTIONS OF SOCIAL MEDIA. WE ARE JOINED BY JOHNSON BRIDGWATER. STEVE: RACHEL ASKI THIS, HAVE YOU CONSIDER THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF THE LAWSUIT? JOBS AND LIVELIHOOD OF BELLA -- OF FELLOW OKLAHOMANS. >> IF YO LOOK AT THIS AS A BUSINESS EQUATION AND BALANCE THE IMPACT OF THE STATE AS A WHOLE, WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE LOOKED AT ALL ABOUT THE NUMBERS CONCERNI THE ECONOMIC IMPACT TO OTHER INDUSTRIES, REAL ESTATE, FOR INSTANCE, THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE DAMAGE AND THE IMPACT ON PEOPLE MOVING TO AND FROM THE STATE, IT IS ALL A PART OF A EQUATION. STEVE: SO YOU ARE SAYING THE DAMAGE FROM THE EARTHQUAKES AND THE BIGGER PICTURE I LARGER THAN THE PROFITS WE ARE GETTING FROM OIL AND GAS? TAX BREAKS AND INCENTIVES GIVEN TO OIL AND GAS OVER THE LAST TWO YEA PROBABLY EQUAL THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT WOULD BE IMPACTED ON THE EARTHQUAKE ISSUE, BUT I STILL AM POSITIVE THAT IS A FAL DICHOTOMY. IF THIS WAS A PRODUCT ON THE SHELF INJURING PEOPLE, THAT PRODUCT WOULD BE PULLED OFF IMMEDIATELY. WE LOOK AT THIS AS THIS PROCESS THAT IS CAUSING A PROBLEM TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND IT NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH. THIS SHOULD BE ABOUT SAFETY, WELL ABOVE DOLLARS. ABIGAI NO ONE HAS BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED BY THESE EARTHQUAKES AT THIS POINT. THERE HAVE BEEN INJURIES, BUT NO LOSS OF LIFE. ABIGAIL: APRIL SAYS SINCE THEY ARE ACTIVE IN STOPPING TRANSPORTATION LINES FROM BEING BUILT, WOULD THEY BE WILLING TO SIDE WITH THOSE OPPOSING THE NEW TURNPIKE? >> WE GET CALLS ON THE TURNPIKE ISSUE. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CONCERNS ON THAT, BUT WE ARE NOT ACTIVELY WORKING ON IT AT THIS TIME. IT IS SOMETHING THAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS WORKED UP ABOUT AND I GET PHONE CALLS DAILY ABOUT THE TURNPIKE ISSUE. STEVE: DO YOU THINK THE SIERRA CLUB IS LIKELY TO TAKE ACTION? >> NOT AT THIS POINT. STEVE: AUSTAN ASKS WHY ARE THEY SUGGESTING -- WHY ARE THEY SUING, DRASTIC CUTS HAVE BEEN MADE. >> THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CUTS. THE FACT IS THAT THE INTENSITY OF THE EARTHQUAKES IS STILL RISING. WE ARE NOW AT FOUR POINT OVER EARTHQUAKES, WEEKLY, THAT IS A HUGE CONCERN IN THE RECENT MAP THAT W RELEASED, I WOULD ASK EVERYONE TO LOOK AT IT. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT SIERRA CLUB HAS IDENTIFIED, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE USGS HAS IDENTIFIED. THE SITUATION IS CONTINUING TO GET WORSE. ABIGAIL: WE HAVE A USGS ON THE SHOW TALKING ABOUT THAT AS WELL. YOU MENTIONED WHAT YOU WANT TO THE GOVERNOR TO DO. YOU THINK GOVERNOR FALLIN IS DOING ENOUGH? >> NO. SUBMITTED TWO SEPARATE PETITIONS AND I DO N THINK SHE HAS MET WITH ANY OF THE PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THOSE PETITIONS.

‘This process is causing a problem to the general public,’ Sierra Club chapter president says

Johnson Bridgewater, president of the Oklahoma chapter of the Sierra Club, answered KOCO 5 viewers’ questions. You can watch him discuss the organization’s lawsuit here.